Several days before my husband’s APEGGA ethics exam, we thought of watching a video about structural foundation. I thought if this video presents its findings without using elaborate mathematical calculations, I would understand it easily. You see, I am an engineer that prefers to translate numerical findings in words while my husband is comfortably adept understanding and explaining research findings in numbers.
As we watched how earthquakes destroyed several structures, the word liquefaction hang on to my mind. The soil, where the structures were built, was not compact. It had empty spaces – like bubbles. And because it was not compact, water seeped through it and melted the concrete foundation of the structures.
Human beings are similar to these structures. We have empty spaces and bubbles in our lives. We thought that filling those bubbles mean succeeding in our career, studies and vocations apart from God. But when events outside of our circle of influence hit on us, we get discouraged, depressed, and withdrawn. Somehow our mathematical concept of life isn’t enough to immune us from the hurts and pains of this world.
So what’s the right filling to the void in our lives? King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to remind us that we cannot fill that void by merely gaining material riches, earthly pleasures, meaningful jobs, profitable financial investments, or fame. These pursuits per se are good things to have but are not ends in itself. King Solomon said in the last chapter of his book that the conclusion of the whole matter is to “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Our portion is God. Our inheritance is Him. If we put Him first in our lives, He will work in us and He will use our lives to honor and glorify His name. True success means living life to the fullest according to God’s will. It means understanding one’s real purpose and meaning in life. Let us put God in that void in our life. Then our foundation is sure – it won’t melt, thaw, and dissolve. There will be no liquefaction.
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